C. Matthew McMahon
Christian Preacher
Question (s):
Dealing with some Clarkian issues -
I see a tree outside my window.
How do I know its there?
How do I know i am not self decieved that its there and that trees really exist?
How does my knowledge first rest in the reality that I am actually thinking God's thoughts after Him, and he is not dependent, in my mind, on my knowledge of the same thing?
I could be an empiricists and go and touch the tree, and I may think it exists, but then, how do I prove it does in reality and that I am still not self decieved?
I could presuppose that trees exist because God created them, but then again, how do I know I am looking at a tree, and that the tree really is a tree, and therefore exists?
How do all of you deal with that idea?
Clark says that trees exist because God created them because it says so in the Word of God. If its not in the Word, then we have no ground for truth. Only God provides us with the truth we are to believe.
But I am typing on a computer. Computers are not in the Word of God. Do Clarkians simply toss that in the bag of "God's Word says industry exists and men make things and computers are things?"
Trees and computers - is there a difference.
(Be simple but helpful.)
Dealing with some Clarkian issues -
I see a tree outside my window.
How do I know its there?
How do I know i am not self decieved that its there and that trees really exist?
How does my knowledge first rest in the reality that I am actually thinking God's thoughts after Him, and he is not dependent, in my mind, on my knowledge of the same thing?
I could be an empiricists and go and touch the tree, and I may think it exists, but then, how do I prove it does in reality and that I am still not self decieved?
I could presuppose that trees exist because God created them, but then again, how do I know I am looking at a tree, and that the tree really is a tree, and therefore exists?
How do all of you deal with that idea?
Clark says that trees exist because God created them because it says so in the Word of God. If its not in the Word, then we have no ground for truth. Only God provides us with the truth we are to believe.
But I am typing on a computer. Computers are not in the Word of God. Do Clarkians simply toss that in the bag of "God's Word says industry exists and men make things and computers are things?"
Trees and computers - is there a difference.
(Be simple but helpful.)